1.Office planners should assume that many Generation Y office workers are entering the workforce with existing injuries
Knoll has explored the nature of Generation Y and its effects on the workplace in other publications.The jury is still out on whether this generation, which spends an astounding 7.5 hours a day on electronic devices is inherently more technologically able than its predecessors. However, one thing iscertain: the intensive use of electronic devices by members of Generation Y has broad consequences for their long-term health and for the organizations that employ them Studies indicate just how alarming those consequences can be: a cross-sectional study in 2000 indicated that 41% of university students experienced pain and discomfort symptoms while using a computer; by 2008, more than 50% of surveyed university students experienced pain they attributed to computer use.8 The study shows that the potential exists for more than 2.5 million students to develop injuries to the upper body, arms and back (upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders) before they even enter the workforce.Further, it’s plausible that this group’s threshold for re-injury may be much lower than older
workers. Thus, organizations should offer furnishings (sit-stand worksurfaces, adjustable task
lighting, monitor arms, etc.) and training programs that reduce the risk of further
problems with currently-injured employees.